Members of the Cooperative Movement turned up in big numbers on Monday 27^th June, 2016 to participate in the blood donation drive across the country, ahead of the 94^th UN International Day of Cooperatives.

The blood donation is one of the activities during the National Cooperatives Week. Other activities include National prayers, delivery of a Cooperatives 5-year Agenda Petition to the 10^th Parliament, the I.K. Musaazi Memorial lecture at Makerere University Main Hall, the nationwide annual tree planting drive by members of the cooperatives societies and an Exhibition by cooperators at Butalangu Town Council Grounds.

The blood donation was in support of the 7^th International Cooperatives principle – “Concern for Community”. In conjunction with the Uganda Transfusion service, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, its partners and the larger cooperative fraternity worked with regional cooperative networks, operation wealth creation officers and the community at large to donate blood at the 7 Regional Blood Banks.

In Kampala, people donated blood at Constitutional Square, Clock Police Fire Brigade offices near Clock Tower and Kireka Lorry Park in Kira Town Council.

Blood donation also took place in the other four regions; at Banyankore Kweterana Cooperative Union in Mbarara for and Rwenzori Diocese Development Initiative is hosting in Fort Portal for western region, Bugisu Cooperative Union offices in the East and West Acholi Cooperative Union is hosting the blood donation in Gulu in northern Uganda.

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives who was the chief blood donor urged all cooperators and all Ugandans to participate in donating blood so as to increase the number of eligible donors that stands at 1% currently.